Why Team Croatia Can’t be Beaten
I’ll be honest. I wasn’t going to write a post about the Croatian football team because I’ve been ridiculed in the past for my adoration of the Vatreni. But thanks to my dear friend Valentina, who reminded me of my priorities, I am going to share my impressions of our dear team and what they represent to not just me, but to many Croatian and non-Croatian fans, young and old, all over the world.
Here I am 4 years after Croatia’s National Soccer and Football Team (they are that good they play both.) First, can I just say how amazing it is to be here in Zagreb with flags decorating businesses, apartments, cars, and the main square. It is also incredibly fun to blast Croatian soccer songs after each match and not have to be at all concerned that anyone will be bothered. Not my older neighbor who wakes up at 4am, not the nuns who live one house over, not the little ones, not the grannies…because WE ARE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER.
As Iva Olivari, the most wonderful national soccer team manager in the world (and the ONLY female, I believe), always likes to remind us - WE are obitelj (o-bee-tell), “family” in English, through and through.
And this translates to how the whole team behaves. For the World Cup is not just a venue to show how well you play, but to show your team’s and even your country’s character. Examples of this are Japan’s fans always cleaning up the seating area after matches, their coach bowing to both his team and the Japanese fans after their exit (Wow), Ronaldo thinking he alone is team Portugal, Canada’s coach using the F-bomb publicly.
No one is perfect, but Croatians can be immensely proud of their team for their behavior, demeanor, passion and grit, for which we are pretty much the poster children. There is no one star (here Gvardiol gets way more attention than Modric), the team and coach are modest at press conferences (ok, well we did have to speak up after beating Canada) and they carry themselves respectfully on and off the field. CLASS ACTS.
Which brings me to why the score is not the full picture at any World Cup and why Croatia stands at the TOP when you look at what this team represents.
So the rest of you Top 8 countries: can you answer YES to ALL these questions?
Do you have the following?
A tiny country population-wise and a team in the top 8 of the World Cup (again)?
A football anthem declaring love for your team through the fire in your heart?
A coach that prioritizes respect and was a dark horse four short years ago?
A captain that is 37, a fixture on one of the best teams in the European league, a former war refugee and the epitome of modesty?
A mama bear female team manager?
A goalie who is fierce as hell, yet has a baby face?
The coolest damn jerseys (especially in 2018)?
And finally, do you truly play for your country and not just yourself?
Didn’t think so.
And this, my friends is why, no matter what the score, Croatia just can’t lose.
